Repairs planned for Melrose's historic fire station

Thursday

Aug 14, 2014 at 3:12 PMAug 14, 2014 at 3:13 PM

By Jessica Sacco / jsacco@wickedlocal.com

The city will receive a chunk of change this year to improve one of its public safety buildings.As part of its annual budget, the state will allocate $50,000 to Melrose for upkeep on the fire department’s central station on 576 Main St.The money will be used primarily for emergency repairs to the station’s slate roof."It should be noted that the Main Street firehouse is a historic building within the historic district and is one of the significant properties in the community," Mayor Rob Dolan said. "It needs to be preserved. Not just because it’s important for the fire house, but because it is a distinct historic property in Melrose."Part of the $50,000 will also be used for officials to study the entire roof to determine what other maintenance is needed, if additional capital funds become available. Because slate is an expensive material, the state’s allocation this fiscal year would not cover the cost to repair or replace the entire roof.State Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, and state Rep. Paul Brodeur, D-Melrose, secured the money for the city on July 30 for use in fiscal 2015."The fire station is an historic site and an important part of the city’s landscape," Brodeur said in a press release. "With these funds, we ensure that this landmark will remain in the city for generations to come."Laura Richter, Lewis’ chief of staff, said the funding will come from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the city should receive it by fall or early winter.City Planner Denise Gaffey said the fire station was built in 1895 and she believes it still has its original slate roof.Although the building, like many others in the historic district, has remained in good condition, Gaffey said periodic maintenance is needed."They last an incredibly long time without it, but you do need to make the investment every now and then," she added.The roof’s leaks, Gaffey continued, are likely caused by water getting underneath slate that is no longer properly aligned and by old flashing material — which is used as an extra covering to prevent against water infiltration."That’s the most important thing, to patch any areas of water penetration," she said, adding the city can then move forward with the study. "To see if there are any other areas where water might be getting in. As part of the assessment, we’d put a dollar amount to the necessary repairs."